Otsego approves road, rec improvements

Published June 1, 2014 at 3:25 pm

by Dawn Feddersen-Poindexter

Contributing Writer

The Otsego City Council agreed to several road and recreation improvements at its regular meeting on May 27.

Council members approved a plan for over $400,000 in maintenance for seal coating, fog sealing and/or micro surfacing a number of stretches of road to help maintain and lengthen the life of the pavement.

The maintenance will impact 23 miles, or nearly 25 percent, of Otsego’s bituminous streets. This is on target with the city’s goal of all such roads being maintained every four years.

The council awarded a project to reshape and pave Jalger Avenue and 100th Street this summer. Residents are in favor of the project and all 10 property owners signed waivers to pay an assessment of up to $14,259 each.

The project is expected to cost $121,343. Part of the project cost is 400 cubic yards of top soil to finish the shoulder along the street. City Engineer Ron Wagner proposed using some of the more than 3,000 cubic yards of top soil the city has sitting around. If feasible, the move could save the project $4,000.

The council also approved resurfacing Lily Pond and School Knoll tennis courts and repairing cracks at School Knoll and Prairie Park basketball courts.

In other matters, the council agreed to impose civil penalties against Riverview Liquorette, Holiday Inn and Rockwoods for failing to pass an alcohol compliance check by Wright County in April.

During the check, Riverview requested an ID but did not recognize that the person was underage. Riverview had a violation a year ago, so the council imposed a $2,000 fine, Best Practices training, and a one day license suspension.

Both Holiday Inn and Rockwoods failed to request an ID from an underage person. Neither has had a violation in the last two years, so both received a $1,000 fine and Best Practices training.